Sheet feeding and ejecting means



A. CALLESON ET AL SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS Oct. 20; 1936.

7 shets Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1954 Y lfllml llll l INVENTORS, (a a Z Sa u and fiwas .64 ackzmum BY 6 Mai. "ATTORNEY' A. CALLESON ET AL SHEET FEEDING AND EJEOTING MEANS Oct. 20, 1936.

7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filedbct. 31, 1934 1936. A. CALLESON ET AL I SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS Filed Oct. 51

'7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ efm QQ ATTORNEY 20, 1936 A. CALLESON ET AL I SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS 7' She'ts-Sheet 4 WW u x o 8.3 z u |l|||| Ill b m .3 ww H O Q n & aa -ll NV.

I I I l l I I l I IIII;

INVENTOR-S, 4nd: FeEZao-n 4mg or r r r rvor toor r t 126- A m y 21:

Oct. 20, 1936. I A. CALLESON' ET AL 2,058,000

" SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS I Filed Oct. 51, 1954- 7 'sheets sheet's Oct. 20, 1936. A. CALLESON ET AL 5 2,058,000,

SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS FiJ ed Oct. 51, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet? Patented Oct. 20, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING AND EJECTING MEANS Amos'Galleson and Edgar A. Calleson, Merrick, N. Y.

Application October 31, 1934, SerialNo. 750,788

19 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for feeding sheets one after another from a stack of superposed sheets, for instance, as where the feeding takes place past a coactive punch and die to operate on the sheets.

In general, the objects are to effect the separation of the sheets always one by one from the stack and to provide an improved and novel means for causing ejection of each sheet at the end of the feeding operation. More particularly, the objects are to have the feeding and ejecting operations entirely automatic, so that the attendants duties are confined to supplying the machine with afresh stack as the previous stack becomes exhausted and removing the product resulting from the punching operation.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a left side and Fig. 2 a front elevation ofthe machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of rack 8 and its actuating means, the latter appearing in front elevation and parts appearing in section in planes perpendicular to a shaft l3;

Fig. 4 is a section in a plane coincident with and lengthwise of said shaft; 0 Figs. 5 and 6, continuations of each other, show the leftand right-hand end portions, respectively, of the table, rack, and means whereby the'lowest sheet in the stack is, alone, made subject to advance by the rack, the view being in .plan as seen by the attendant standing in working position (right of Fig. 1) and, leaning over, looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1;

Figs. 6a to appertain to mechanism in Fig. 6, Fig. 6a being a front and Fig. 6b a right side elevation of parts 22 and ZZxyand Fig. 60 showing how the lowest sheet is separated from the next lowest sheet.- I

Fig. 7 is a section through Fig. 5 in a plane through and lengthwise of a certain telescopic shaft; 0 l i -Figs. 7a. to if appertain to mechanism in Fig. 7;Figs. la. "and 71) being 'a plan and right 'end view of housing 2'1; Fig. "7c a'front elevation of :a suction pump attached to the housing and a :suction relief lever 58;Fig. 7d a right 'side'elevation'o'f abutment 23 and denter lever H and show the sheet in 'flat'and also'bent-down form; Fig. 7e a front elevation of bracket 46; and Fig. "7f showing the gripper detached;

Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, sections on lines '8-8 and 9,-9, Fig. 6; i

Figpli) is a section on line Ill-l0, Fig. 11, of the sheet-ejecting mechanism; 3

Fig. 11 is .a section on line ll-J I, Fig. 10, be- .ing a=continuation of- Fig. 8;

- Fig. 12..is a plan of nism; Fig. 13 is a front elevation, partly in section,

said sheet-e3 ecting mecha.

of the controlling means for the sheet-ejecting mechanism; and

Fig. 14 is a plan, partly in section, of a part of the mechanism appearing in Fig. 9.

The fixed structure or frame of the machine includes the rigidly connected standards I and the downwardly inclined and laterally projecting bed 2 having a back wall 2a (Fig. 9) and for-.- ward thereof level 3a of two levels 3 and 3a. separated by a transverse wall 39 (Fig. 8), level 3 being adapted to receive the die a: (shown partially-and dotted in Figs. 8 and 11) and level 30. reaching laterally to a housing 21, the depressions at such levels being covered by plates y and 2-2,, (Figs. 2 and 3) the bed and such plates 1 (and a plate 5) forming What we term the table; the back margin of plate a flanks a sheet-advancing rack B, to be described, this being itself flanked at the back by the plate 5 on back wall 2a. 4 designates the plunger carrying a punch 20 (not shown) to coact with the die when the plunger is reciprocated through a link 6 engaged with an eccentric portion of the main rotary shaft 1, as usual. The rack 8 is reciprocated in a 'guideway 9 from an eccentric stud In on a disk ll aflixed to shaft 1 as follows: A toothed segment I2, affixed to a rock-shaft l3 journaled in a bracket l4 depending from the table, meshes with the rack, the rock-shaft having an arm [5 to which is universally connected a link I6 also pivoted to stud H], which may be adjusted by a screw IT to alter the throwv of the segment and hence of the rack. So much is substantially the known construction, and is not claimed per se. The rack has aseries of blocks l8 each having a tooth l8a overhung toward the die (but its top not above the top surface of the table) and arranged to move in a slot'9a, between plates 2 and 5, the rack having a T-groove 8a. receiving blocks 19 whereby, through the medium of screws I9c0, blocks l8 may be clamped to the rack in any predetermined spacing. The part of the sheet a (Fig. 7) to be advanced which is over slot 90. is to be bent down into the path of the rack teeth. When the stroke-length of the rack is altered, by adjusting stud III as described, the spacing of the toothed blocks l9 may be adjusted to agree.

, Back of the slot 9a there is affixed to the table a back-stop 20 for the stack 0) of sheets, the inclination of the table causing thestack to rest by gravity against such back-stop which is to form, with the table and right and left abutments to be referred to, a sheet magazine. The back-stop is secured by bolts Zlla to the table penetrating transverse slots in the back stop, permitting the latters adjustment to suit various widths of sheets. A bracket 2| (Figs. 6, 8 and 9) upstands from and is bolted to thetable and traverses the slot 9a, being in effect arched or cut away underneath, as at Zia, Fig. 9, so that the lowest sheet in the stack may pass under it toward the die. Aflixed thereto is a plate 22 (Fig. 6a6b) forming the right hand abutment and having its lower edge portion 22a bent oif toward the stack and formed with a chisel edge whose inclined face is underneath. Said edge portion forms what we term a separator for the sheets, the stack of sheets a being adapted to rest at its right hand forward corner on this separator; said edge portion is spaced somewhat from the surface of plate a (Fig. 60) so that when the lowest sheet has been retracted to the left it can pass to the right under said edge portion.

The left-hand abutment (Figs. 5, 7d and. '7) is a plate 23 which is secured, Fig. 7e to an arm 46b of a bracket 46 (to be referred to) forward of the slot 9a and it has a lug 23a depending into a housing 21 (also to be referred to). The plates 22 and 23 respectively have blocks 2220 (Fig. 6b) and 23m (Fig. 711) secured thereto and forming forward abutments for the stack.

The left hand forward corner of the lowest sheet a is to be pulled down clear of the lug 23a (Figs. 70!? and '1) and then gripped and the sheet, alone, retracted clear of the separator 22a, whereupon the left hand extremity of the sheet is to be dented into the path of reciprocation of the extreme left-hand rack-tooth l3a, which will then effect its first increment of advance toward the die and the deflection by the separator, away from the next overlying sheet, of its leading or right-hand end. For proper support of the lowest sheet at this time supporting structure may be said to be formed by the table, on which the stack rests with its left side inclusive of its forward left corner projecting further than the table, and the rack 8 acting in part as a support for the projecting portion of the stack and arranged to be remote from said corner when the stack is so positioned, abutment 23 being opposed to said side of the stack and having a depending stop, as 23a, relatively between said support and said corner of the stack and terminating below the top surface of the lowest sheet.

For this purpose there is the following mechanismz Journaled in bearings 24a (Figs. 6 and 8) of a support 24 bolted to the table is a hollow shaft 25 receiving and splined at 25a (Figs. 6 and 9) to a shaft 26 journaled at its left-hand end in bearings 21a of a housing or support 21 (Figs. '7 and la-7b). As will appear, shaft 25 is held against but shaft 26 is capable of lengthwise displacement, and they form what we shall hereinafter term a telescopic shaft to indicate its extensible nature, meaning, however, that its parts are incapable of relative rotation. This telescopic shaft, which at its left-hand end causes the mentioned manipulation of the left-hand end of the sheet, is driven at its right-hand end as will now appear:

A housing 28 (Figs. 2 and 14) is bolted at 29 to the under side of the table and in it are fixed two stub-shafts 3i] and 30a on which are journaled sprocket-wheels 3i and am connected by an endless chain 32, sprocket wheel 3| having affixed thereto a pulley 33 which is connected by a belt 34 with a pulley 35 on the main shaft 1 and the other sprocket wheel 31a having affixed thereto a pinion 36 (see also Figs. 8 and 9) which meshes with a ring-pinion 31 revoluble around a disk 38 which is afiixed to the tubular element of the telescopic shaft (such element being held from lengthwise displacement by its said disk forming a notch 66 to receive the being between the near bearing 24a and an abutment 39 of the table). Parts 31 and 38 form the driving and driven members of a roller-clutch whose roller 40 is arranged against the inclined face a. of a peripheral recess of the driven member 38 and is urged against the inner periphery of the driving member 31 by a springdevice 4|. The bracket 2| affords a vertical guideway Zlb for a slide or feeler 42 having its lower end forked and bent off (Fig. 8) toward the die, said feeler being pivoted to a lever 43 fulcrumed in said bracket and having pivoted thereto a depending forked dog 44 which straddles the clutch member. The system 42-43-44 tends in response to a spring 43a to assume a position in which the lower forked end of the feeler enters notches 45 in the table. When a sheet is advanced it lifts the feeler and depresses the dog 44 into the path of the roller 40, thus disestablishing the clutch; when the sheet passes beyond the feeler the system returns, the dog clearing the roller, thus reestablishing the clutch. In this way the rotation or non-rotation of the telescopic shaft respectively depends on the absence or presence of a sheet under the feeler.

Referring, now, to housing 21 and the parts associated therewith (Figs. 5 and 7): In the housing is secured a bracket 46 (Fig. 7e) in which is guided at 46a the plunger 41a of a suction cup 41 arranged under the left fore-corner of the stack, the plunger having a lateral notch receiving a lever-plate 48 fulcrumed in a notch of the housing and normally urged upwardly by a spring 5!] to bring the cup against the fore left corner of the lowest sheet in the stack. (It is the arm 46b of bracket 46 which carries, as stated, abutment 23.) The lever-plate or lever is intermittently depressed by a cam 5| on the ele ment 26 of the telescopic shaft to cause the suc tion cup to pull down said corner of the sheet. Aflixed to the housing is a suction cylinder 52 the rod 53a of whose piston 53 terminates in a ring embracing an eccentric 54 on said element 26. This cylinder is connected, through a port 55 in the cylinder and a flexible tube 56, with the suction cup. At 51 (Figs. 5 and 7c) is a relief port for port 55, the same being normally closed by a valve 58a on a lever 58 fulcrumed at 59 and acted on by a spring 59a to hold the valve closed, the lever being actuated to open port 51 by a cam 60 on element 26.

It will be seen that the plates z-z' lap each other and that plate 2' terminates at the inner bearing 21a, (see Figs. 2, 3 and '1) thus leaving the fore left corner of the sheet overhanging and thus adapted to be bent down as above stated; there may be a plate 2 upon the left hand end of plate a to support the left hand end of the stack at the proper level.

When the fore left corner of the sheet has been pulled down by the suction cup a gripper moves to the right to receive and grip and pull the lowest sheet a back clear of separator 22a, thus incidentally breaking down any adhesion existing between this and the next lowest sheet. This gripper (Fig. 7) comprises an actuated slide Bl movable under friction horizontally in a guideway 460 of the bracket 46 and affording the upper jaw of the gripper and a jaw 62 pivoted to the slide and having an upstanding arm 62a. An actuating slide is formed by a plate 63 moving in a guideway 21$ (Fig. 7b) of the housing 21 and two plates 64-455 secured to plate 63 and arm 62a of jaw 562. The plate 63.0f this slide has an opening 61 to receive the .upperend of a lever68 fulcrumed at 69 in thezhousing and engaged with a barrel cam H! on element 26 of the telescopic shaft.

' the sheetclear of separator 22a.

Assumingthe left fore corner of the sheet has been thus pulled down by the suction cupand the sheet retracted by the gripper, a denter'lever :1 I, fulcrumed at 2112 inand at the back of housingZ'l and. arranged in line withthe slot 9a so as :to overlap the left-hand extremity of the sheet when retracted, is moved .to dent saidextremity of the sheetinto the path of the extreme left hand tooth I811. of rack B. This lever :is normally held retracted against a stop pin 12 by a spring 13; a cam 14 on element 26 of the telescopic shaft acts through a spring-pressed plunger 1.5 in the lever to effect the latters denting movement; The denter lever acts to form an acute permanent downbend in the lowest sheet reachingLinto the path of saidextreme left-hand tooth andconsequently of the other teeth of the rack, with the result that when the rack :is reciprocating it slides the sheet along stepiby step, or intermittently. Y

The operation as so far described is as follows:

Assume shaft 1 to be driven and thereby reciprocating the rack and driving the clutch member 31; if the magazine is empty and there is no sheet under the feeler 42 the telescopic shaft will be driven and the mechanism shown in -Figs. 5 and '7- will be actuated once for several thrusts of the plunger 4.

The fore-left corner of the lowest sheet will be pulled down .by the suction cup clear of lug 23a of the abutment 23, the gripper will advance, open, and receive the left end of the sheet and then, in its retracting movement, grip and pull thesheet to the left clear of separator 22a, and the denter lever will dent a portion of said end into the path of the extreme left-hand tooth of the rack, which will then start the step-by-step advance past the die. .(The relief .port 51 is openedby lever 58 as soon as the gripper grips the sheet, so that the suction will not impede the advance of the sheet.) As soon as the leading or right-hand end of the sheet elevates the feeler 4.2 the system 42-43--44 will be set to dis-establish the clutch, so that the mechanism in Figs. 5 and '7 will cease operating, remaining so until the sheet clears the feeler, when said mechanism will again go into action and repeat its said operations with respect to the next-succeeding sheet.

When a sheet has its left-hand end bent down all possibility of the next succeeding sheet participating in the ensuing retraction of the first sheet is prevented by the depending luglflia. The advance of the next-succeeding sheet to the right with the lowest sheet is prevented by abutment 2.2, and the separator 22a insures switching of the leading endof said lowest sheet away from the leadingendof said next-succeeding sheet if there is possible adhesion between the sheets.

As for the sheet separating or parting constituting the initial step in the sheet-feeding: The

.stackofsuperposed sheets is placed in the magazine with an edge portion of the lowest sheet (here at its forward right-handcorner) free to fall, at least with respect to said means, but

held against falling by the separator or parting device 22a. The parting device projects toward the-opposite edge of said lowest sheet. Hence, when thelowest sheet is retracted independently of the next superjacent sheet and in the direction in which the parting device projects and clear of the same-and when said lowest sheet is then returned the parting by said device of the two mentioned sheets follows as an incident of said portion falling. If'the terminus of said de vice has an underneath bevel, as shown, it. will insure parting of the sheets should the falling of said portion be opposed by adhesion between the sheets.

'It will-be observed that the two principal functionsof the means comprising parts 31, 38', 40 the telescopic shaft and the parts the latter actuates are (1) given aportion of the lowest sheet; as overthe crack 8, free to be displaced downwardly, it acts tocontrol the means as 1 l which controls such displacement; and (2) given the ability of such sheet to he slid clear of a parting device, as 220:. it acts to control the means, as the suction cup and grippers, which controls such shifting of the sheet. In the actual embodiment disclosed'3'l constitutes a constantly moving driver; 38, the telescopic shaft and the parts actuated thereby constitute driven means; and roller 4|] forms a clutch to clutch thedriver with the driven means controlled from the advancing sheets through said system.

The housing 27, forming a support for thegrip per, denter lever and suction cup, is secured to the table by bolts I6 (Figs. 2 and 'Z) passing through slots ii in the latter extending lengthwise of the table whereby the housing may be adjusted to vary the distance between abutments 22 and 23, or the length of the magazine to suit various lengths of sheets.

Upon each sheet completing its passage past the die and punch it is ejected by the following 2 'ournaled in a bracket .85 pivoted to an arm of a the table and subject to the pull of a spring 86.

,Inahousing-like lever 8;! fulcrumed on a shaft 88 connecting arms 89 of the housing 11 is journaled a roller 90 which is urged against the roller 19, with which it is parallel, by gravity and a spring Hi connecting lever 81 with the housing. 1

The lever 81 has a depending abutment 92 with which is coactive an abutment 93on a-rod 94, the abutments having coacting cam-faces. (Abutment-93 is equipped as a friction-clamp, as shown, clamping the rod, which holds it in a given working position thereon while permitting it ,to be forcibly slid along the same to a different workingposition.)' The rod is slidable in astationary friction clamp 95 attached to the table; and its-lefthand end, in the lengthwise movement of the rod, alwaysoverhangs a ledge 2x of'the bracket, IA so as to rest thereon at times, as will appear. Rack 8 has -a forward tang 83: which overhangs rod EM and in any event will engage, (in the left-hand stroke of the tang, an upstanding lug 94a of the rod. To the right of this lug the rod has a notch 94b to receive the tang, and forward of the notch the top surface of the rod is sufficiently low so that if the rod rests on the ledge the tang may reciprocate above and independently of the rod.

A lever 96 is fulcrumed in bracket 2| on a transverse horizontal axis and is equipped with a foot 97, projecting to the right, and is urged by a spring 98 to rest on the sheet being advanced. The left-hand arm of this lever or feeler has a roller 99 extending under the rod.

We have in the foregoing mechanism for feeding sheets or other lengths of stiff sheet material including a support (as the table) over which to advance said lengths, coacting grippers (as 19 and 81-430) to receive between them each length as it is advanced and one of which (8'l90) is movable toward and from and normally urged toward the other and one of which includes a constantly rotating length-ejecting member (19) means to advance said lengths in succession and step-by-step including a constantly reciprocating element (the rack 8), a shifter element (93-94) to move the movable gripper from the other gripper reciprocatory with the reciprocating element and also movable transversely of the path of said reciprocating element into and out of and normally urged (here by gravity) out of coupled relation therewith, said elements having coacting portions (as 940. and the left side of tang 8m) to shift the shifter element to that limit of motion with the reciprocating element, in either the coupled or uncoupled relation of said elements, in which the shifter element has moved the movable gripper from the other gripper, and a feeler (96) normally urging the shifter element into position to be coupled with the reciprocating element and movable by the advancing lengths to release the same. That is to say:

Assume a sheet is beng advanced by the rack step by step and is between the grippers, which are open because while the feeler has been moved by the sheet and allowed the shifter to fall into uncoupled relation to the rack, the coaction of the mentioned portions has resulted in the rack shifting the shifter to the left, elevating the movable gripper (the positions of the parts in their here mentioned relation being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 13). The sheet, in being advanced, finally allows the feeler to assume its normal (or fullline) position, whereby the shifter becomes coupled with the rack and, moved thereby to the right, (full-line position) allows the movable gripper to fall, with consequent ejection of the sheet by constantly rotating element 19.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim is:

1. In combination, means to support a stack of superposed sheets with the opposing surfaces of the lowest sheet and the next lowest sheet in face to face contact and an edge portion of said lowest sheet free of said means to fall, a sheetparting device projecting under such edge portion toward the opposite edge of said sheet and opposing falling of said edge portion, and means to move such sheet in said plane clear of said device and independently of the next superjacent sheet, whereupon on movement of the lowest sheet oppositely to its first movement said device will part such sheet from the next superjacent sheet.

2. In combination, means to support a stack of superposed sheets with the lowest sheet therein in a given plane and an edge portion of said lowest sheet free of said means to fall. a sheet-parting device projecting under such edge portion toward the opposite edge of said sheet and opposing falling of said edge portion and having an underneath bevelled terminus, and means to move such sheet in said plane clear of said device and independently of the next superjacent sheet, whereupon on movement of the lowest sheet oppositely to its first movement said device will part such sheet from the next superjacent sheet.

3. In a mechanism for operating on a stack of sheets having a generally angular contour in plan, the combination of supporting structure including a table on which the stack is adapted to rest with one side inclusive of a corner of the stack projecting further than the table, means to advance the lowest sheet independently of the other sheets in the stack in the direction in which said side projects, said structure also including a support supporting the projecting portion of the stack and arranged to be remote from said corner when the stack is so positioned, and an abutment opposed to said side of the stack and having a depending stop relatively between said support and said corner of the stack and terminating below the top surface of said lowest sheet, whereby the portion of the lowest sheet inclusive of said corner must be bent downward below the stop when the sheet is to be advanced by said means.

4. In a mechanism for operating on a stack of sheets, the combination of supporting structure on which the stack is adapted to rest, means to slide the lowest sheet in one direction independently of the others in the stack, and means thereupon to slide said sheet independently of the others in approximately the opposite direction, said structure having means to oppose displacement of the next lowest sheet with the lowest sheet when the latter is slid in either direction.

5. In a mechanism for operating on a stack of sheets, the combination of supporting structure on which the stack is adapted to rest, means, movable in a path below the stack, to slide the lowest sheet in one direction independently of the others in the stack, means to slide said sheet independently of the others in approximately the opposite direction and means to bend a portion thereof down into said path, said structure hav ing means to oppose displacement of the next lowest sheet with the lowest sheet when the latter is slid in either direction.

6. In combination, means to support a stack of sheets and oppose movement of the next-lowest sheet in the stack in one direction, means, movable in said direction under the stack, to slide the lowest sheet in the stack in said direction and means to form an acute permanent downbend in said lowest sheet reaching into the path of movement of the second-named means.

7. In combination, supporting structure for a stack of sheets opposing sliding movement of the next lowest sheet in the stack, a rack structure, movable in said direction and back repeatedly under the stack, to slide the lowest sheet in the stack over the first structure, and means to form an acute permanent downbend in said lowest sheet reaching into the path of movement of the rack structure.

8. In combination, supporting means including a table on which to support a stack of superposed sheets, a reciprocatory element arranged to move in a path parallel with and under the lowest sheet in the stack and having an upwardly projecting tooth below the plane of such sheet, means, offset from the stack lengthwise of said pathbut within the range of movement of the tooth, to bend a portion of such sheet which traverses said path into the path of said tooth, and means to shift said sheet toward and into the control of the bending means.

9. In combination, supporting means including a table on which to support a stack of superposed sheets, an abutment for one side of the stack above and spaced from the table, means, below and spaced from the stack, to advance the lowest sheet in the stack under the abutment, a support adjustable on the table toward and from the abutment, and means on the support to force a part of the lowest sheet into the control of the advancing means.

10. In combination, supporting means including a table on which to support a stack of superposed sheets, an abutment for one side of the stack above and spaced from the table and having a sheet-parting device projecting therefrom under the stack and on which the portion of the stack near the abutment rests, a support adjustable on the table toward and from the abutment, means on the support to shift the lowest sheet in the stack from the abutment clear of said device, and means thereupon to advance the sheet under the abutment.

11. In combination; means to support a stack of superposed sheets with a portion ofthe lowest sheet in the stack free to be displaced downwardly, means, below the stack in position to engage the portion of the lowest sheet so displaced, to slide such sheet over the supporting means, means for defining such displacement of such portion, and means, controlled from the advancing sheets, to control the last-named means.

12. In combination, supporting means for a stack of superposed sheets, means to slide the sheets one after another from the bottom of the stack, means for forcing a part of the lowest sheet in the stack. into the control of the advancing means, and means, controlled from the advancing sheets, for controlling the last-named means.

13. In combination, supporting means including a table on which to support a stack of superposed sheets, an abutment for one side of the stack above and spaced from the table and having a sheet-parting device projecting therefrom under the stack and on which the portion of the stack near the abutment rests, means to advance the sheets one after another from the bottom of the stack under the abutment, means to slide the lowest sheet in the stack from the abutment and clear of said device prior to advance of such sheet, and means, controlled from the advancing sheets, for controlling the last-named means. 7

14. In combination, means to sup-port a stack of superposed sheets with a portion of the lowest sheet in the stack free to be displaced downwardly means, below the stack in position to engage the portion of the lowest sheet so displaced, to slide such sheet over the supporting means, a constantly moving driver, driven means for defining the displacement of said portion, means to clutch the driven means with the driver for movement therewith, and means, controlled by the sheet being advanced, for controlling the clutching means.

15. In combination, supporting means fora stack of superposed sheets, means to slide the sheets one after another from the bottom of the stack, a constantly moving driver, driven means including an instrumentality for forcing a part of each lowest sheet in the stack into the control of the advancing means, means to clutch the driven means with the driver for movement therewith, and means, controlled by the advancing sheets, for controlling the clutching means.

16. Incombination, supporting structure including a table on which to support a stack of sheets and a parting device to project under the stack at one side thereof and hold said side elevated above the table, the lowest sheet being slidable independently of the others in the stack clear of said device, means to control such sliding of said lowest sheet, means, upon said lowest sheet sliding clear of said device, to advance such sheet under said device, and means, controlled from the advancing sheet, to control the first-named means.

1'7. In combination, supporting means including a table on which to support a stack of superposed sheets, an abutment for one side of the stack above andspaced from the table and having a sheet-parting device projecting therefrom under the stack and on which the portion of the stack near the abutment rests, means to advance the sheets one after another from the bottom of the stack'under the abutment, a constantly moving driver, driven means including an instumentality for sliding the lowest sheet in the stack from the abutment and clear of said device prior to advance of such sheet, means to clutch the driven means with the driver for movement therewith, and means, controlled by the advancing sheets, for controlling the clutching means.

18. Mechanism for feeding lengths of stiff material including a support over which to advance said lengths, coacting grippers arranged to receive between them each length as it is advanced and one of which is movable toward and from the other and one of which includes a constantly rotating length-ejecting member, means to advance said lengths in succession including a constantly reciprocating member, a feeler movable by the advancing lengths, and means, controlled by the feeler, for coupling the 'movable gripper with the latter member.

19. Mechanism for feeding lengths of stiff material including a support over which to advance said lengths, coacting grippers arranged to receive between them each length as it is advanced and one of which is movable toward and from and normally urged toward the other and one of which includes a constantly rotating length-ejecting member, means to advance said lengths in succession and step by step including a constantly reciprocating element, a shifter element to move the movable gripper from the other gripper reciprocatory withthe reciprocating element and also movable transversely of the path of said reciprocating element into and out of and normally urged out of coupled relation therewith, said elements having coacting portions to shift the shifter to that limit of motion with the reciprocating element, in either the coupled or uncoupled relation of said elements, in which the shifter element has moved the movable gripper from the other gripper, and a feeler normally urging the shifter element into position to'be coupled with the reciprocating element and movable by the advancing lengths to release the same.

AMOS CALLESON. EDGAR A. CALLESON. 

